Unity in Magic
by crazyringo
Summary: When a series of weird events happen at the town of Mitakihara, the reactions among the few who notice includes an investigation - definitely not stalking - of an individual; friendly conversations with a furry, little alien from outer space; and learning the delicate process of making friends. Oh, and lets not forget babysitting. Co-written with Sixelle-of-Fireyness. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1: New in Town

_(A/N: Hey guys! First of all, there are two Co-Writers for this story. Pennames: crazyringo and Sixelle-of-Fireyness. This fic is based on both the anime/manga mixed with our own ideas. This story will also feature our OC's, Amai and Juudai, we hope that you guys will accept the girls with open arms! Disclaimer: We don't own Puella Magi Madoka Magica or any of its characters, but we do own our OC's named Amai and Juudai!)_

* * *

~Chapter 1: New in Town~

Being new around the neighborhood meant not knowing how to get anywhere, so for lack of something better to do and because her health demanded she be active, Homura decided to go for a walk. She really needs to make this a habit; a few blocks down, and she was already out of breathe. Granted, she's only been in Mitakihara for a day, but she decided she needed to embrace a little change in her life now that her health is improving. Everything was looking up for her, and she wanted to make the best of it.

She managed to find a nice crepe stand not far from where she lives, ordering herself a strawberry one before taking a seat in a nearby bench. Aside from enjoying the delicious treat, she managed to rest for a little bit before her treat disappeared and she had no other reason to be staying there.

A park was nestled six blocks from her apartment, packed with people. Homura saw children playing in the available playground, a pond where a few people fished in, and someone strumming cords on his guitar at the edge of the park. She stayed there, away from the general crowd of people in the center, watching them go about their business.

As the sun started to sink lower in the sky, she finally stepped away to go home. A few minutes in, however, she experienced a momentary lapse in memory, her mind struggling to recall the proper path home. She stood in the middle of a path, looking one way and the other in a panic, noticing until too late of the person approaching her. Homura cried out as she was knocked onto the sidewalk, pain blossoming from her knees and shins.

"Shit! Oh God, I'm so sorry!" She was hauled away from the concrete, held up by her shoulders as the person helped her stay up. "Hey, are you okay?"

Homura looked at the brunette's worried face. "No, no, I'm the one who should apologize. I… I wasn't looking where I was going…" Her words drifted off as she noticed another girl, one with orange colored hair, making her way towards them, her steps quick and her face settled in a sharp grimace.

"Amai, you are an idiot." The new person admonished.

"I know." Homura was surprised the girl next to her agreed to that. "I wasn't watching where I was going, girl. It was entirely my fault! I was just so happy I finally took Judy out to that Greek sandwich shop and I didn't see you there! Seriously, are you okay?" Her head whipped towards Homura so fast, she thought she had whiplash.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." Homura smiled at her.

"Amai, seriously, you need to watch where you're going." The other girl began to scold who Homura assumed must be her friend. "You and that gorilla strength of yours is going to break someone's neck one day." Homura jumps slightly when the girl's attention turns to her. "I'm really sorry about that. She tends to get distracted easily, but I'm sure she'll do a better job of not mowing people down when she's on the streets."

The other girl remained dejected on the sidelines, not offering a word into the conversation. Frankly, Homura was at a loss. She wasn't used to talking to people in general, so she didn't know what to say or do to continue the conversation. Fortunately, the girl continued talking for her.

"She has a few screws loose, so to speak. I've heard her parents literally dropped her on her head when she was a kid." She stopped her words short, her gaze falling over Homura and causing the girl to feel slight unease. "I apologize. I'm talking your ear off and I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Naosoroshii Juudai." She smiled, the first one since she appeared, her hand stretching out in front of her.

Homura only hesitated for a moment. It wasn't often people talked to her, and she didn't talk to people often enough, but she recognized the kindness in Juudai's eyes and gesture no matter how slight it was. Her chest feeling warm, she shook the girl's hand. "P-pleasure is all mine! My name is Akemi Homura."

"Ah, that's a lovely name there. Are you new here, Miss Akemi?"

"Y-yes, I just moved here the other da—"

"HOLD ON!" The two girls jumped at the loud outburst from the side, the brunette bursting in between them. "You're new around?"

"Ah, y-y-yes?" Homura didn't know where this was going, and the look she was receiving from the brunette was making her shake on the spot. The girl narrowed her eyes.

"Amai, you're scaring her. Sto—" Whatever Juudai was going to say stopped short when Amai pushed her out of the way so she was standing directly in front of Homura. She shrieked as the brunette took her hands in hers.

"I'm slipping! How the hell didn't I find out about this?! I missed out on seeing a cutie like you! My sources are slipping!" The girl bemoaned, one of her hands slipping away to slap against the side of her face. Her other hand moved away, Amai dropping down to the ground to sit on the ground. She reached for her backpack, fishing in it before pulling out a black notebook and shifting through the pages before she landed on a blank one.

Pulling out a pen from her pocket, she freezes Homura in place with dilated eyes and a sharp grin. "Now give me your name, age, address, phone number, and three sizes, in any order this instance!"

"Uh, but I-! What…?!"

"Don't you 'uh' me! Answer the questions! I need to know! My Date Book can't miss a single girl! Tell me! Tell me everythi-!" Amai, who at this point was gripping Homura a little too strongly on the shoulders, came to a halt when Juudai kicked her on the jaw and sent her flying and into a nearby house wall. Homura stood there in a daze, hand massaging her shoulders as her mind went to work understanding what she just witnessed.

"Again, please forgive her." Juudai prompted after she's straighten her posture and turned to look at her. "She has far too many screws loose."

* * *

"So how was your first day of school?"

Homura looked up from her coffee, smiling at Amai – after pinching her hand away from her skirt. "Y-yes, I've settled in quite nicely. I think the teacher is quite nice, a-and…" Her voice drifted off, a blush appearing on her face.

"Wait a minute." A hand slammed on the table in front of Homura, the girl jumping as Amai invaded her personal space, eyes wide and frantic. "I know that look! It's the face someone makes when they found _the one_! Who is it? Who the hell are you crushing on?"

"N-no, Miss Asurito! That's not it at _all_! I just…" She lowered her voice, gaze falling down to her mug. "Well, she was really nice to me…"

"Ooooohh, so it's a girl you like~"

"WHAT? No," But the mischievous look Amai gave her feed into her distress. "That's not it at all!"

"There's no shame in loving another girl. Course, she'll have to pass our inspection to see if she's worthy of your affections! Come now!" Amai took a seat across from her, pulling her date book out with pen at the ready. "Tell who this girl's name is so we can begin interrogating her."

Homura's sputtering went nowhere, but thankfully rescue came in the form of Juudai as she walked by their table, smacking Amai lightly on the hand with one of the restaurant's booklets. "You just got off break. Parents or not, you're supposed to be working at their shop, not slacking. Get back to the floor, some tables need to be clean."

Amai pouted. "You're no fun, Judy."

"Work is capable of being fun, but only if you're actually _doing_ your job and not goofing off. You'll get into trouble with your parents, not me, so get a move on." Juudai stopped beside Homura, placing a plate of Lemon Cookies next to her. "Don't worry about her, Miss Akemi. Work will be a good distraction for her."

"T-thank you, Miss Naosoroshii."

"I must agree with her, though." Juudai took the seat Amai left, setting the tray down to reveal a plate of tiramisu and hot milk. "School wasn't too rough, right? This girl's been treating you properly?"

"Yes, she has…" Homura began snacking on a few cookies first. "She helped me find my way to the nurse's office, and-and she was really nice to me."

"What's her name?"

"Kaname Madoka."

Juudai took a sip of her milk before responding. "Hmm, I don't think I've met her before. Amai might know her." Her eyes rolled towards where the girl in question was currently speaking to another girl at her booth. From the look on the girl's face, Amai was one step away from getting punched in the face. "But let's avoid saying names until you're absolutely ready for her to know."

"Okay." The two elapsed into a fit of giggles, Juudai stopping first to continue her snack. As Homura settled down, she glanced at the window, a smile on her face as she watched the sunset sky.

* * *

She would later question if she saw the shadow of what appeared to be a rabbit by the window.

* * *

Sometimes, Homura cursed her short height. She couldn't understand why the things she always required for something were always outside of reach. She remained standing on her tippy-toes for a few more seconds before settling back on her heels and out of breath.

"Found it yet, Homy?" Homura's head turned to the direction of the voice.

"Yes, Miss Asurito. Over here!" Amai's head appeared over the corner and she rushed towards her in the next minute. Homura pointed to the second topmost shelf to the red spine sticking out. Amai grabbed a hold of it and pulled.

"Is this it?" The two made their way back to the center of the library, finding Juudai writing in a notebook. They each took a seat on across from her, laying the book out on the table of a peek. "Oh, God, we gotta _read_…"

Homura giggles at Amai's grumbling. "You don't have to, Miss Asurito. I can take over from here."

"No, no, I told Judy I was going to help you with this project." She slammed her fist on the table, eyes closed tight for a moment as she gathered her nerve before turning a few pages. "I don't back down from helping a friend out."

"Thank you so much…" Homura reached for another book on the table, one which Juudai found earlier.

For a while, silence fell on the three girls, the only sounds being the shifting of pages and whatever noise comes through from the background. The library didn't exactly have a quiet feel if one listen well enough and catch the little sounds; the scrapping of chairs against the floor, pages rifling from a distance, footsteps and voices from both adults and kids alike, books being removed from the bookshelves and placed on a surface of some kind. It's almost like it's a spell meant to help her concentrate.

Of course, it didn't last for long before Amai turned her attention away from her book. "Okay, just asking, you know as a reminder to make sure I'm not screwing up, but what exactly am I looking for here?"

Juudai sighed, looking away from her notebook and regarding Amai with a glare. "Why do you insist on helping if you don't even know what you're doing?"

"Because I'm trying to be a good friend here. Besides, Homy's teacher isn't being fair, giving her an assignment that'll take her forever to do research on!"

"Lower your voice. I'm not questioning your determination. It's admirable, but will it kill you to actually pay attention for once?"

"Um, Miss Asurito, Miss Naosoroshii…" Homura stared nervously at the people staring at her friends.

"Right, right…" Juudai cleared her throat before continuing in a quieter tone. "Her project is on famous women in history."

Amai stared and blinked for a few seconds before her face twisted in thought. "Please don't tell me Miss Saotome was the one who gave this assignment."

"Uh, who?"

"By God, she did, didn't she? More boyfriend trouble. I swear I told that woman to find herself a good girlfriend. Guys aren't worth it half the time, unless they're on their knees begging for you."

"I'm going to pretend I know who you're talking about that way you won't feel as offended when I change the subject. Subject change." Juudai snapped her fingers in emphasis. "Please give me a suggestion on how you will assist Miss Akemi in her project."

She stops to think about it for a moment, humming all along. Her face brightens after a moment. "I can decorate the poster!"

Juudai stared at her before nodding her head slowly. "That can work." She turns to Homura next. "I suppose I'll help you with research. If we don't get on with that, Amai will get bored. She won't have much to work on, otherwise."

"O-okay."

"So, did you find anyone interesting?" Juudai looked over Homura's shoulder as she tilted the book towards her.

"I can't choose between Joan de Arc and Cleopatra. What do you think?"

"Choose the one you think has the most research in, whichever is the most interesting. It's better to choose something you can manage to be energetic about. I think I saw Cleopatra mentioned a few times in the other books."

"A-all right then, I'll check these out." Homura stacked the books together and went to pick them up, grunting softly as she tried to carry their combined weight. When she takes a step back, she exhales the breath she was holding in a puff, panting as she tried to get her breathing under control. Amai got up from her seat, walking around the table to take the books out of Homura's grasp.

Homura tried to protest, but Amai simply waved her concerns away before walking towards the checkout counter. Juudai gathered her stuff together, pushing her and Amai's chair in before gently pushing Homura towards the exit. "It's okay, Miss Akemi. Amai and I are here to help you."

"I… I don't know how to thank you." Homura didn't know how to voice her thoughts aloud. Ever since she came here, she managed to make three friends. It was more than she could ask for since she left the hospital.

By the time they caught up to Amai, she had already finished checking out the books and was arranging them in a plastic bag. "Hey! You two want to eat dinner at my place tonight? I want to try out this new recipe I looked up in one of Mom's old recipe books."

Juudai reached to take the bag out of her hands. "On the topic of your mother, how is she doing? Isn't she due soon?"

"Yeah, but I don't know when soon is soon." Amai sighed as the three of them stepped out of the library. "She's driving me and Dad up the wall with her mood swings. I bet it's a boy, I'm calling it now. Only a guy can give a girl that much grief."

"Your parents wanted the child's gender to be a surprise?" Homura asked.

"Yeah. We got a name for the little tyke once he comes to join us."

"Or she."

"Whatever. So, yeah, Homura, are you coming over? I know Judy won't turn down a free meal if it's offered, but what about you?"

Juudai grumbling in the background, the purplette replied, "I don't know, Miss Asurito. I do not want to be an inconvenience."

"Nonsense! You're more than welcomed at our place. Judy's always there."

"Because I work there."

"My parents really like you, too! So, yeah, just stay over for a bit for some grub, or maybe after eating we can work on your project together!"

Homura really wanted to thank whoever or whatever left her in the care of these two great friends. She couldn't resist the smile on her face if she tried. "Yes, I think that would be lovely."

* * *

The activity in the mall can only be described as hustling and bustling. Homura stared nervously at the sea of faces surrounding her, trying desperately to find someplace to stop for a rest away from this suffocating mess. When she finally broke through the crowd, she was gasping for breath, stumbling blessedly empty bench nearby. She collapsed onto it, taking a few minutes to remember how to breathe before she finally pulls out her cell phone. The ring tone started playing after she finished typing in the number.

"Homy! Where the hell are you?" Amai paused for a moment before continuing again. "I just found the stores with the spices. Judy wants me to go inside already but you ain't here yet and I'm not moving until you get here." There was some yelling in the background which Homura guessed to be Juudai from the sound of the voice. "Wait! Judy! Where are you going?"

Another ringtone rang off, and Homura stumbled in telling Amai to wait as she switched lines on the phone. "Hello?"

"Miss Akemi, where are you?" Juudai sounded exasperated. "Amai didn't even think to consider you might not know your way around the town quite yet. If you can give me a landmark to identify…?"

"Oh, I'm already at the mall, but… I kind of lost my breath and I'm taking a break now."

"Are you on the first or second floor?"

"The first."

"Can you tell me the names of the stores around you?"

After giving her a response, Homura only had to wait all of five minutes before she saw her friend's orange hair among the crowd. She made a beeline for her, passing her a cool bottle of water. Homura gave her thanks before taking a long swig from it.

"Whenever you're ready to go, we can go see Amai."

"Will Miss Asurito be all right by herself? You just left her."

Juudai rolled her eyes. "Regardless of all the talks about abandonment issues she likes to give, I assure you she's fine. She won't die without us in ten minutes. Besides, I'm doing her the favor of bringing you to her, so she can put a sock in it."

Homura giggled. Counting to three, she rose to her feet before nodding her head. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

Juudai took a hold of her hand and lead her through the sea of people. It was still an overwhelming experience for her, but Homura could tolerate it more than earlier with Juudai anchoring her through. She didn't even notice when the two of them rode the escalator to the second floor. Looking further ahead, she saw Amai standing in front of an herb store, a foot tapping on the ground as she waited for their arrival.

"Finally! Did you get lost on the way back?" Amai admonished.

"This is all your fault, so shut up."

"How's this my fault?!"

"The least you could've done was pick up Miss Akemi. I know how to make my way. She doesn't. You could've helped her and you didn't. Now look at her." At this point, Homura knew Juudai was trying to appeal to Amai's soft side. The girl was surprisingly gentle when something triggered that part of her.

Personally, Homura didn't feel as famished as she did before. Juudai really helped out with bringing her water and keeping her company in this suffocating place. Apparently her recovery wasn't satisfactory; Amai stepped up to her, eyes shifting this way and that as she studied her.

She gasped when Amai suddenly drew her into a tight embrace. "Oh, you poor baby! I made you go through all of that. I'm a horrible person. Say it with me: Amai's a big doodoo head."

"Um, I don't think that's exactly appropriate for me to repeat!"

"Shush now." Her hand gently patted the top of Homura's head. "It's the truth and I'll be the first to admit. But guess what? If you're not going to admit it, I'll promise from here on out to be more considerate about you. Starting now, I will watch your every step and guide you in life."

"Oh, no, Miss Asurito. You don't need to do that for me."

"Nonsense! As your senpai, it's only natural for me to show you my ways and hope you can learn and better yourself from them!"

"If she becomes anything like you, that would be horrid." Juudai wretched Amai away from Homura, both girls gasping at the suddenness of it. Amai pouted when her friend pushed her in the direction of the shop. "Didn't you call us here because you wanted to show us some spices? You were all worked up about that, so come on."

"Um, actually…" Amai stepped away, her fingers twiddling in front of her as she chuckled nervously. "I've already bought them."

Silence fell on the two of them, the sound of the mall overlapping it, before Juudai made for Amai, lifting the sleeve of her shirt to her shoulder as her fist clenched at her side.

"Nononono! No violence! Let me finish! I wanted to try a baking recipe." Juudai crossed her arms and huffed. "No, for real! I wanted to share it with you and Homy since, you know, the two of you are my friends and all."

"That's… actually sweet of you." Juudai admitted with just the slightest hint of astonishment on her face.

"I was thinking maybe we can make it together. What do you think, Homy?" Amai looked expectantly at Homura.

"I-I've never baked before." She can barely handle cooking herself a meal, how would she bake? "What if I end up messing it up?"

"That's what everyone says. I should know; Judy tried to pull that one on me the first time I asked her to do this with me." Juudai glared at Amai when she looked at her. "And guess what? She ended up being a mighty fine baker! Mom even says she's better than her."

"That's not true." Homura didn't miss the blush on Juudai's face.

"Besides, baking is fun, whether you're good at it or not. I'll show you what to do."

"You've never baked yourself, Amai. If anything, I'll be the one showing her how to bake."

"Exactly! We kneel to you, Baking Queen!" Amai fell to her knees on the floor, her arms bowing before her. Homura knew she was only playing, but she didn't know if she should join in the jesting or stand awkwardly in the sidelines; she is painfully aware how odd this scene must appear to bystanders.

As if sensing her discomfort, Juudai held her hand out and shook her head. "Quit it. You're making a fool of yourself more so than usual. Fine. Whatever. We can do the baking thing, although I still think you just want me to bake sweets for you."

"Totally not true!" The three of them started making their way to the store, Amai talking all the way. "I really want to learn how to bake. Normally, the baking is left to my mom but you know how well that's going right now. My dad's the one who's been baking mostly but I asked him to give me some pointers. You know, because the baby's on the way and I want to pull my weight around when they need to divide the tasks. Right now, I've mostly stuck to the dining room and kitchen, but the floor gets traumatic, especially during rush hour. God! I don't think I can handle any of the waitresses working there more than I need to."

Amai continued ranting about her family's restaurant for a bit as she led them down the store's aisle. Up until now, Homura's not seen a store as colorful as this one. Though the building's overall color was a light pasty tone, the contents of the shelves made up for it. They first walked into an aisle filled with a variety of cake mixes before they walked into one with candles and decorative items. She nearly bumped into Juudai when Amai came to a halt in an aisle filled with decorative sprinkles.

The next few minutes were spent with Amai asking their opinion on what kind of sprinkles to buy. Juudai kept snapping at the girl when she received an answer only to place the bottle back on the shelf. Eventually, she went quiet and picked out three bottles.

"See? This one here's green like me~" She pointed to the pendant around her neck. "This one's orange like your hair, Judy~" The girl in question slapped Amai's hand away when the girl made to reach for her curls. "And this one's purple for you, Homy." Amai smiled triumphantly as she held the bottle out towards her.

"Why is that, Miss Asurito?"

"Your eyes, silly!" Homura blinked, leaning back when the girl leaned over her and looked her straight in the eyes. She turned her gaze away, flustered.

"I-is that so?"

"Yep! We can decorate the cakes with this!"

"So we're making cakes then?" Juudai pushed the small cart she dragged with her from the front of the store forward; Amai dropped the bottles into it.

"It's more like cupcakes, but yeah."

"We'll need frosting, then. I think it's in the next aisle."

"Already ahead of you!" With a giggle, Amai runs off.

"And the two of us are left behind just like that." Juudai drawls as she follows her friend in a slow pace. Homura stood by her side, her attention still caught by the colorfulness of the store. "There's no hurry, though. Knowing her, she's probably waiting for us to hurry our behinds so she can continue zipping across the store."

When the two of them made it to the end of the aisle and turned to the next one, however, Amai was nowhere to be seen. Homura's heart jumps, her breath quickening as she tried to find her friend. Her eyes landed on Juudai; she can tell the orangette was trying her best not to appear worried, but her eyes kept jumping from one corner of the store to the other.

Homura's gaze turned to the entrance of the store, and there she saw the brunette standing at the store's entrance. She tugged at Juudai's sleeve for her attention, pointing at the entrance just in time for her to see Amai before she turned her head. Amai's face appeared to be in shock, the girl frantically looking about for a few seconds before she yelled something Homura couldn't quite catch. The moment after the girl ran off.

The cart's wheels squeaked in protest as Juudai pushed it to the nearest empty shop register to pay for its bare contents. Homura struggles to keep up with her when she barrels out of the store. "W-wait, Miss Naosoroshii!" The girl stopped long enough for Homura to catch, resuming her walk afterwards in a steadier pace. They walk in silence, passing by a few stores, before Homura asks, "Did… did you hear what Miss Asurito was yelling before she ran off?"

Juudai nods her head. "She called out, 'Maria'."

"Maria? What does that mean?"

"I don't know. That's what I hope to find out when we find her. After I've wringed her neck, of course." She stopped, her eyes darted this way and that, before she turned to look at Homura beside her. "Granted, that is if we can find her. She went this way, no doubt, but that's as far as we know."

"I'm sorry. I slowed us down."

"No, don't worry about it." From the corner of her eye, Homura saw Juudai tighten her grip around Amai's forgotten purse and purchases. "She'll turn up sooner or later. In the meantime, we could try to wait for her in the mall's center. Whenever the two of us go shopping here, we usually stop at the crepe shop on the west wing before we leave. If anything, she'll stop there after she's done with her wild goose chase."

With any other words, the two start making their way to the food court. Homura followed after her, making sure to keep close and to keep with her pace. Her eyes continued to wander, though, in search for any signs of Amai. She tried to keep an eye for the colors of their school uniform in the crowd, and her attention draws to a flash of khaki from the right. Her strides came to a stop, and her body turns to take a closer look, seeing the colors disappear behind a set of doors.

She's sure she heard Juudai call out to her, but Homura did not heed her for once. The door flew opened with a heavy push from her hands, and she sailed into the maintenance hallways of the mall. The lack of light did nothing to deter her near sight as she looked for Amai or for whoever went in here. A door slammed shut from somewhere behind her, causing her to gasp and swerve her head back to find the source. Her heart began to race, and her footsteps picked up the pace.

The scenery beside her warped the further she went, though her eyes skimmed over this way and that. When her foot tripped over something, she yelped, falling to the ground. Her glasses flew off her face, leaving her stranded in a world of blur. Her hands groped wildly in front of her until they smacked against the metal frames, and she immediately grasped the glasses to bring to her face.

Eyes came into focus, and widen in horror.

She didn't realize the walls melting into a pastel mess, a mix of rainbow colors and doors sunken into it. The floor had become uneven, elevating at some portions, and lowering in others. Homura looked up at the ceiling and saw nothing but darkness. Looking forward, however, offered her a different experience. Wires streamed from unknown portions of the ceiling to the floor, barbed and sharp.

As she shakily rose to her feet, she tried to recall if a mall could even be this dangerous until she hazily recalled seeing plain signs and buckets when she went through the doors earlier. She took a step back, breath hastening in intake.

"H-hello?" She wasn't expecting an answer, but she also wasn't expecting a hand to grab her arm. Her scream echoed throughout the space before a familiar voice shushes her.

"Miss Akemi, it's me." Juudai sounded hurt but she loosen her grip on Homura, stepping forward to take a good look at her. "You aren't hurt, are you?" Homura couldn't find her voice, the shame at screaming at a friend befalling her, so she merely nodded. Juudai accepted her response, hand lowering to grip hers, and tugging her back. "We need to leave, that much is obvious. So come on. I highly doubt Amai is here."

"Miss Naosoroshii," Homura managed to find her voice at last. "you… do see all of this…?"

"I do." Her face turned into a harsh grimace. "This is a nightmare. I'm pretty sure the mall's faculty would have done something about this mess if they had left it in the first place, so I highly doubt this is their fault. And I don't want to stick around to find out who's it is."

Seeing the point in her logic, Homura passed the reigns over to her.

The two of them froze in place at the sound of heels approaching them. Homura couldn't stop the cry from leaving her lips as she tried to see beyond Juudai's shoulder the source of the sound. The orangette held an arm in front of her, ready to shield her at whatever decides to take a leap at her. As the seconds ticked by, the footsteps got louder and picked up the pace. The two froze as the sound started heading towards them.

A gunshot snapped them from their trance, followed by the redirection of the steps. Homura looked into the darkness and thought she saw the swish of long dark hair and purple tail coats set over a white shirt. Something about her seemed so familiar to her, but before she can figure out why, the girl turned to look at them. A moment later, she sprinted off further down the hall.

The words Homura wanted to cry out died out in her mouth when Juudai pushed her back further. "Homura, watch out!" A shadow leaped towards them, and instead Homura yelped as she fell backwards. Juudai barely managed to dodge the strange newcomer.

"Miss Nao-!" She didn't get a chance to finish screaming before something dropped on top of her, her breath escaping her in a huff. Whatever is on top of her creeps around, unsettlingly soft and scratchy against her exposed skin. Whispers of words flowed over her, the rambling leaving her confused. A little shriek slips out of her when she thought she felt something else crawl over her legs. "Get off of me!" She managed to wheeze out.

Her legs failed to work at first, but her hands started scrambling in front of her, pulling her away from the little mob on her. Eyes going about wildly, she found Juudai in a similar situation. The weird creatures appeared to be white balls of cottons sporting black mustaches and thin limbs of sorts. They were having a tougher time piling on Juudai as she kicked them and swatted them away with her bag.

"Miss Akemi! This way!" Juudai scrambled to her feet, and waved in front of her. Homura struggled a little bit longer to get up, but aside from a few of the cotton balls jumping on her, she managed to run up to Juudai. The orangette pushed away whatever of the little critters held onto her, and they both ran through one of the doors on the side.

"Whatever you do, don't look back!" Homura could only nod in agreement to Juudai's words and the two continued running down the hall, unsure of their destination. Everything appeared the same, with the same shifting colors and the hall seemed without end.

Their footsteps eventually lead them to a room at last, expansive and filled with upright articles of stone. In the very center stood three figures, one with their back turned to them. The other two Homura felt a spike of recognition in her chest.

"Hey, you guys need to run!" Juudai calls out as they ran towards the newcomers. "There's something really weird going on around here!"

The one girl turned around to face them, a small smile on her face. Homura's heart stopped when she saw a gun materialize in her hand – a gun she was aiming at them. Juudai slid to a stop, her arms outstretched to stop and cover Homura. When the gunshot rang, a squelch sound erupted far behind the two girls. Homura whipped her head back, watching some of the strange creatures from earlier fall to the floor in a burst of green.

"Don't worry, ladies." The girl with a smile as she took steps forward to stand in front of the two, more of the rifles materializing around her. "I've got this covered."

Forming a line over her head, the rifles aimed at the incoming horde of monsters. The girl held her hands out in front of her, and gave a shout. "_Tiro Finale_!"

All at once, the guns let fire, enveloping the monsters in smoke as a fountain of green rose littered the air before landing on the ground. Homura continued to stare at the quick aftermath of their chase, but her attention is broken when someone places a gentle hand on her upper arm.

"…Miss Akemi?" The words were spoken softly, hesitantly, and Homura turned to look in the eyes of a pinkette girl she meets every day she goes to school.

"M-miss Kaname? Miss Miki?" She adds the last surname when she sees the bluette from the corner of her eye. Miki Sayaka stepped forward, eyes wide and landing on Homura.

"You're here too, Akemi?"

"I'm glad you're okay." Kaname Madoka spoke up, sniffling a little.

"No one's hurt, right?" The blonde gunswoman stepped back to the group, the smile still on her face. "I'm glad to see the two of you are okay. I was aware some other citizens have walked in here, but I thought I found them."

"I-I'm okay…" Homura breathed as she watched the girl stop next to Madoka and Sayaka. A spark of light enveloped her, and Homura gasped slightly as the strange outfit she wore was replaced with the school uniform of their school. "Y-you… you're…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I really should introduce myself." She curtsied, raising and looking Homura and Juudai in the eyes. "My name is Tomoe Mami, and I'm a magical girl."

* * *

(_A/N: We hope that you guys enjoyed chapter 1 of our Co-Written story, please R&R and tell us what you think! Until next time! :D )_


	2. Chapter 2: Magical Girls

~Chapter 2: Magical Girls~

Both Juudai and Homura were left in a state of speechlessness, which lasted even after the weird scenery faded back to reveal the back halls of the mall. Juudai was the first to recover. "N-nice to meet you, Miss Tomoe."

Mami giggled. "Oh, Mami is all right. Are you familiar with Madoka and Sayaka, by any chance?"

The pinkette steps forward. "Oh, Mami, this is my friend from homeroom, Miss Akemi!" Homura stammered incoherently as she was pulled towards Mami.

"A-ah, pleased to meet you!" She squeaked out in response.

To Juudai's surprise, a silence enveloped them. Mami's eyes widen a bit before a thoughtful look settled over her face. Madoka shuffled next to Homura nervously, and the bluette standing silently on the sides finally spoke up.

"Hey, wait a minute, you look familiar…" The girl leaned towards Homura, glaring at her and ignorant of her discomfort as she fidgeted in place.

"Sayaka, what are you doing? Look at her; you're making her nervous…" Mami stepped forward, placing a hand on Sayaka's shoulder and pulling her away. Homura breathed a sigh of relief, leaning towards Juudai. Mami smiled, understandably. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Homura. And you? May we have your name as well?"

"Naosoroshii Juudai." The orangette glared at the bluette before looking at Mami. "The pleasure's all mine, Miss Tomoe. So you are Kaname Madoka, the girl Homura's been telling us all about? Nice to meet you."

Madoka's face turned into a shade matching her hair, the girl sputtering cutely. "Oh, h-has Miss Akemi really been speaking so much of me?"

"Truly. She spoke so highly of you she managed to rile up a friend of mine." Juudai's face twisted for a moment before she cast a neutral look on the bluette. "And you?"

She huffed. "Miki Sayaka."

Juudai left the introduction to that; Mami didn't really give her a chance to answer if she did have one in mind. "I think we can continue this conversation elsewhere. The witch seems to have left the vicinity, but it doesn't hurt to leave in case it decides to return. In the meantime…"

Mami walked towards Madoka, who until now had been holding what appeared to be a white bundle in her arms. Upon closer inspection, when Mami took the bundle into her arms, Juudai realized it was a white bunny. …Of sorts.

The bunny was placed onto the floor, Mami kneeling down before it. Her hands hovered over its body, hands glowing yellow and enveloping him in the light. The seconds ticked by and the scratches littering its body faded away. Her hands moved away, and a few seconds later the little critter stirred. His eyes blinked open, revealing red eyes.

"_Oh, hello there, Mami_." Juudai blinked in surprise when she heard the voice echo in her head. "_Thank you for healing me. I didn't know what I would have done without your help_."

"I'm sure you would have been all right, Kyubey." Mami responded with a smile before getting to her feet.

Kyubey jumped to its feet as well, prowling around Mami's legs for a bit before looking up. "_I'm sorry for the mess I got you all into. Especially you, Kaname Madoka_."

Madoka's face looked an equal mix between astounded and excited as she got to her knees to further study it. Sayaka's mouth fell open, voice stammering as she tried to find her words. "What the hell? How is it talking? And how does it know her name?"

"_Oh, it's telepathy._" Kyubey helpfully replies. "_It's my way of communication, a rare form for humans but common for my species. And of course I know Madoka's name. I also know your name, Miki Sayaka._" Overlooking Sayaka's look of surprise, he stared at the two girls standing by the side. "_And you two are Akemi Homura and Naosoroshii Juudai. I didn't mean to involve the two of you, but in the long run this is beneficial for all of us present. All the same, it's a good thing the two of you aren't injured_."

Homura stood back, astonished and unsure on how to handle the situation. Juudai, on the other hand, appeared to glow, her face staring at Kyubey in awe. She joined Madoka on the floor, kneeling closer to the rabbit-like creature. "Cute…" She mumbled under her breathe. Her hand lifted towards Kyubey, though she retracted her hand back at the last second.

Kyubey closed its eyes, throwing its head back with a smile. "_Well, now that everyone's here, I can tell you all what I wanted to ask you: would the four of you be interested in making a contract with me?_"

* * *

Juudai pushed the door opened, and both she and Homura stepped into the main hub of the mall. The crowd has lightened since they strayed minutes ago, but to Homura it felt like an eternity. The pair shuffled over to a nearby bench, collapsing onto it with a huff. They sat together in silence, Homura overlooking the panes of the ceiling overhead while Juudai watched people passing by before them.

The silence finally shattered with Juudai's words. "Well, that was something."

Homura couldn't really give an answer; she merely nodded.

"We still haven't found Amai, though." Juudai stared thoughtfully at a banner of sweets before she stood up. "I'm not leaving here until I find her. Are you going to go home?"

"N-no."

"Well, I won't force you to walk if you're tired. I'm going to try to search around first. If I can't find Amai, I'll come back for you here."

Homura opened her mouth to speak but a familiar voice interrupted her. Eyes widening, she and Juudai stared as Amai ran towards them.

"Hey, you two!" She caught up to them, catching her breath. "Where you've been?" In response, Juudai smacked her against the head with her bag. After Amai spent a few moments agonizing over her injury, she aimed a glare at her offender. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For running off on us, you twit!" Amai leaned away when Juudai imposed herself towards her, face twisted in anger and concern. "Do you know how worried we were about you? And you just up and left us like that!"

Amai looked to be at a loss of words, her eyes flickering to Homura for a moment before she turned her attention back to the orangette. "Look, I'm sorry. I just thought I saw someone I haven't seen in a long time, and I didn't want to miss the chance to talk to her. Besides, you could have just called me."

Juudai wordless holds up a green bag in front of Amai's face.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. You left your bag in the store, dummy! Of course we couldn't contact you!" And with that, Juudai stomped away from her friend.

Standing in awkward silence for a few moments with Amai, Homura slowly approached the other brunette. "Um, if I may ask, who exactly were you looking for, Miss Asurito?"

Amai sighed, gesturing with one hand for Homura to follow. "It's an old friend of mine. I've known her longer than Juudai, but I didn't see her as often. I knew her through my parents because they knew her parents. Whenever they got together for house visits, they'd bring her along. The two of us… got along well enough." She sighed again, looking to her right at a fabric store; the front windows showed sales on ribbons of various colors. "I only got to see her on days like that, or if my parents were babysitting her. She really liked our restaurant; my mother taught her how to bake and make tea. She'd always let me taste her food first before anyone else."

"It sounds like she was a wonderful friend." Homura could hear the longing in Amai's voice.

"Yeah, she was. I'm really hating that I didn't call out to her more. She lived on the other side of town, but I've never seen her place and my parents never took me to their place, not once. If I reached out to her more, I'm sure the two of us could have been closer friends."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"That's the thing." Amai sniffed, and Homura noticed tears in her eyes. "The last time I saw her was a year ago. Her parents suffered a horrible accident; they didn't make it."

"How terrible…"

"Yeah… We ended up holding the funeral for them, but…" Amai stopped in place, Homura falling into step behind her. "My parents told me she appeared, but she didn't stay long. She didn't stay to talk to me… You'd think she would, what with losing her parents and everything.

"You know, my parents had asked her parents to be my godparents." Amai's tone swiftly changed into a wistful one, a small smile on her face. "They didn't tell me themselves until later, and by then it'd been a while since we've seen her family. When we… saw them again… yeah."

The two resumed walking, the silence heavy with the revelation but not suffocating. Homura dared to ask, "So you have not seen your friend ever since?"

Amai shook her head. "I didn't really get to see her that often to begin with. Let me tell you something funny; although I've known her for so long, I don't even know her name." To Homura's dumbfounded expression, she laughed. "Yeah, stupid, right? It's not that she didn't introduce herself to me, but it was so long ago. Besides, I usually referred to her as 'Big Sis' or 'Senpai'. Hmm, I sometimes called her 'Maria' as well. Cause she's a cute girl, and Maria goes with her, but I'm sure that's not her real name.

"If I ever see her again, to celebrate a proper reunion, I'm taking her out on a date. I'll try to remember her name this time, and we'll go out for crepes like we used to. In the meantime…"

They stopped again, Homura noticed, in front of a crepe shop. Juudai stood in front of it, and Homura recalled what the orangette mentioned earlier. Amai stepped forward, smile turning into a grin she flashed to Homura with a turn of her head.

"I have friends right now that require my attention first." She walked up to Juudai, who refused to meet her eye. Amai hugged her nonetheless, ignoring the way her friend flinched in her embrace. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry because I'll probably screw up again in the future. You know how I am. But I'll try my best not to forget my phone next time so we can keep in contact." Amai pulled away with a smile, holding out a hand. "Especially since this time, you walked away with my purse."

Juudai huffed, holding out both Amai's purse and purchases from the bake store. "Just remember that for next time. Now, are we going for crepes or are you going to run out on me again?"

"Well, since you're putting it that way!" Amai laughs as she crushed Juudai against her chest in another hug. Juudai rolled her eyes but nonetheless eventually returns the embrace. "The crepes on me today! And this time we got Homura to introduce to the wonderful world of sweeten pancakes. While we eat, I'll explain everything to you, dear sweet Judy."

"Don't 'dear sweet' me!"

"Aw! You're grouchy!"

Homura shrieked a little when Amai brought her into an embrace, head close to Juudai as the two of them were held together. She giggled as Juudai growled in irritation.

"I have to be here for both my Judy and my Homy! So I can't afford to screw things up now when you guys are depending on your senpai!" Amai declared. "My first order of business is our crepe date, so let's go!" There was no room for disagreement as Homura and Juudai were dragged away to the food court.

* * *

On her way home from the nearby grocery store, Homura heard someone call out her name. "Yes?" Her eyes widen when she noticed Madoka out of the three girls approaching her. She fidgeted in place, arranging her bags a bit as she tried to make fix her skirt and hair. "A-ah, hello, Miss Kaname."

Madoka approached her with a lovely smile, ignorant of Sayaka's disapproving face and Mami's contemplating one. "Good evening, Miss Akemi." Homura wondered how Madoka can be so brilliant in joy; Amai was similar in a way, but Madoka shone like a sun and Homura oftentimes felt like she needed to look away for fear of getting burned.

She decided she did truly want to be Madoka's friend; Amai and Juudai (mostly Amai) approached her, so now she wishes to make her own attempts at making friends.

"Good evening, Miss Kaname. Miss Miki. Miss Tomoe." Madoka cheerfully returned the greeting; Mami curtsied slightly and Sayaka scowled before turning her head in a huff.

"How's is your evening so far, Miss Akemi?" Mami asked.

"Oh, it's going well." Homura began to explain. "I just finished my chores for the day and was going to head home. And you all? Are you all on a walk?"

"Something like that." Mami answered. "If I may ask, are you busy at the moment?"

* * *

Juudai couldn't sit still at home. Her little brother had just left for the Asurito's restaurant, helping them in the back with the garden. It was his favorite part of living so close to them, aside from the fact they had pseudo-guardians to care for them. In Juudai's book, life wasn't bad; they got free food, and she was slowly saving up money so they can move out into a better place in the future. It was a goal for her to focus on, anyway.

And of course, Xavier. Her little brother came first and foremost with everything, so whatever he asked she would do her best to grant. He was still too young to work (technically she was too) so she tried her best to appease him with the small earnings the elder Asuritos give her. _Then_ whatever was left over she sent to her account. She needed to check out the local bulletin board to see if there were any odd jobs available for her to do.

"Xavier, I'm going out. Let Mrs. and Mr. Asurito know for me, will you _lucelino_?" Juudai cooed at him. The four year old immediately ran to her, arms wide and enclosing her in a hug.

"Will Big Sis be gone long?" He asked, his eyes enlarging.

"Not too long, I hope. I need to check on something. In the meantime, you be a good boy and listen to whatever Auntie Aly and Uncle Jared, okay?"

"_Si_."

"And if Amai asks you anything," Juudai concludes with an irritated face, "you tell her what?"

"I'm just a kid." He shrugs his shoulders and gives her his best 'I'm adorable and I wouldn't hurt a fly' face.

"Exactly. You are a smart boy." She kisses him on his forehead. "Love you, Xavier."

"Love you, too."

If she could, she would bring her brother with her. Maybe keep him stored away in her pocket, away from the world. But it wasn't possible, and she wouldn't want to restrict her brother like that. He deserved the best, and she hopes she can give that to him sometime in the future, starting first with school. Aly and Jared already gave their portion of money needed to get him into school, now she just needed the rest. Just a little bit more and he'll be set.

Her face set into a determined expression, she secured her sweater and left for town. It wasn't too chilly, but in the case she did find a job and it took her to the later hours of the night, she was prepared. She could also pick up garbage as well; the recycling center was willing to pay a small fee for anyone who brought in trash.

A few minutes into the walk, she approached the building where the bulletin board was kept. People always brought requests, and it was kept up to date daily. She was thankful for it; between schoolwork, work, and her hobbies she found time to work on this every few days.

Before she could enter the building, a voice called out to her.

"Oh, Miss Naosoroshii!"

"How lovely to see you here, Miss Naosoroshii!" Mami greeted after Homura called out to her friend. The orangette appeared to be on her way to the local job center. Mami is familiar with the place herself, and with a thoughtful frown she wondered the purpose for Juudai heading there.

But it was a question for another time, and the frown slipped off her face as Juudai turned to face them. "Hi there. Miss Tomoe, right?"

"Yes, that's right. Were we interrupting something?"

"Not really."Juudai's gaze slipped towards Homura. "Miss Akemi, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well, Miss Naosoroshii." Homura was the first one to notice Juudai, and immediately headed towards her once she captured her attention. Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka followed after her once they noticed what, or rather who, had caught her attention. Madoka stepped beside Mami, hands clasped in front of her as she addressed Juudai and passed her a greeting as well. Sayaka stayed behind, only acknowledging her with a rough greeting at Madoka's insistence.

When they fell into another lapse of silence, Mami spoke again. "Miss Naosoroshii, if you are not busy, would you like to come with us to my apartment? I'd like to have a word with all of you."

With her declaration in the air, Juudai stared at her in wonder. When she turned to Homura, the purplette nodded her head slightly. Another second and Juudai gave her response. Mami smiled when Juudai joined their little group. The five of them began their trek to Mami's home.

"So Miss Nao, how did you meet Miss Akemi?" Madoka blurted out. Mami barely resisted the urge to giggle; the pinkette was such a friendly individual and Mami adored her for it.

"M-miss Kaname!" Her behavior certainly left Homura sputtering.

"Well, it's an incredible story, one that might leave you wondering what exactly happened…" Juudai starts before her lips equip a small smirk. "But to give the short version of it, one of my friends just kind of ran into her and the three of us hit it off real well. Which reminds me…" The group stops as Juudai takes the time to bow to them graciously. "Thank you for taking care of Miss Akemi."

"Oh, no problem." Madoka responded first. "We're happy to. Miss Akemi is really nice, isn't that right, Sayaka?"

The bluette was put on the spot, anyone can tell by the widen eyes and the way she looked at the pinkette as if she just asked for a million dollars. "Well, I – yes, she's all right." She grumbled in the end. The attitude left Mami wondering what Sayaka could be thinking but she decided it was a question to ask for another time. In the meantime, she had guests to attend to and she would be damned if she was considered an improper host. Her apartment lingered in the distance within sight, and she announced as such.

The building was a tall one, frequented by groups of other young patrons she noticed after a day of people watching; apparently the building accepted students as leases as a way to prepare them for the future when they wished to head against the world alone. In Mami's case, she was already one step ahead of the others.

Today would be the first time in a while that she'd have guest over her little part of the complex. She showed her proof of residence to the security guard on duty and then signaled the girls to take the elevator further down the room. Her section of the building was located halfway through the levels of it, the elevator ride lasting for no more than a minute since it stopped for no one.

"All right, we're here," Mami announced holding the door open for the other four girls to step inside. "Make yourself at home."

Her apartment was as it always was. Not a single plushie was out of place, her drawer was in order, and just the day before she managed to bake two chocolate cakes. The smell of the pastry still hung in the air.

"It smells so good here!" Sayaka commented after removing her shoes, padding through the room in her socks. "Smells really sweet."

"I'll have some treats out and ready for you all in just a bit." Mami responded.

As the other girls settled in around the table, Mami pulled the cake out, cutting it up into individual pieces and setting them up in plates. The tea finished making by the time she started picking up the silverware.

Her guests partook of her cake as soon as she set them down. A series of humming immediately followed as they took their first bites.

"Hmm~ This is so tasty, Tomoe-san!"

"You're a really good baker~!"

"The tea's really good."

"I wonder what the recipe for this is…"

"This is really good…~"

"I'm glad you all enjoy it," Mami giggled at their reactions. It always pleases her when her guests, as few as they have been, enjoy her treats. "If you'd like more, help yourself."

A scurry of movements alerted Mami to the presence of one other person in the room. "_Mami, did you leave some for me?_" Kyubey jumped to the surface of the table next to Juudai, gazing towards Mami.

"Of course, Kyubey." Mami pushed an extra plate by her side towards the bunny-like creature. He quickly scampered towards it and began devouring the cake.

When most of the girls finished and set their plates aside, Mami made sure to catch all of their eyes. "All right. Enough stalling. I'm here to clarify a few things which happened today. Personally, I rather not involve any of you, but Kyubey has acknowledged the four of you in having potential in becoming magical girls."

She was met with a nervous silence which Sayaka broke by asking, "A magical girl as in what you were earlier, right?"

"Yes, that is correct. The fact you are able to see Kyubey and thus commune with him is another sign of your potential."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"_Normal humans can't see me_." Kyubey responded. "_At the very least, not without my letting them. However, there are humans, such as everyone in this room, who are able to see beyond the illusion I set. Not just anyone can see me, just like I can't communicate with just anyone._"

"Otherwise, you're normally invisible?" Juudai asked. Mami noticed Juudai was staring rather intensely at Kyubey, her hand twitching quite a bit.

"_Yes, precisely. Either way, I can always tell when there is a candidate nearby, so I knew there were girls present who can make a contract with me_."

"Kyubey," Mami started, suspicion entering her tone, "were you purposely searching for more girls in the mall to turn? I understand the statement in there being strength in numbers, but I'm the resident magical girl in Mitakihara. You would have at least let me know first if you were intending to do that?"

"_I will admit I was drawn to the mall because I sensed a huge amount of magical energy coming from there. However, I did not find the time to pursue that energy since I wound up being preoccupied. Madoka and Sayaka can explain to you_."

At that, Sayaka huffs, chin falling to her perched hand, and Madoka started looking a bit nervous. Mami sent them a questioning look to encourage their response.

"W-well, Sayaka and I were spending time in the mall hanging out." Madoka started. "She was searching for something, and while in the store with her, I heard Kyubey's voice. He was calling out for help, calling out for me."

"_At the time, I was being pursued by the other magical girl, the one who's been giving you trouble for the last few days._"

"Ah, yes, the mysterious magical girl." Mami hummed, taking a sip from her plate before leveling a look on Madoka, her eyes grateful. "Again, Miss Kaname, I must say extend my gratitude for saving Kyubey. He's a dear friend of mine."

"Your welcome."

"Who the hell was that girl, anyway?" Sayaka snapped with a glare. "We see her during school watching Madoka like a creeper, and then she attacks her!" Her fists slam against the table in her rage.

"Hold on a moment; you are saying this girl has been following you." It would be an understatement to say Mami was alarmed. "How long has it been?"

"Oh, we had just seen her today!" Madoka responded with a nervous tilt to her voice. "I don't know why she always glares at me, but she's only spoken to me. She has done anything wrong!"

"Yeah, that's what always happens before you find out the person is a total psycho!" Sayaka interjects.

"I'm afraid I must agree with Miss Miki, Miss Kaname." Mami didn't even know where to begin and explain. "This is a serious case. You aren't just dealing with a regular stalker. This girl has magical powers that would render the officials of Mitakihara obsolete. She can turn violent whenever she desires."

"Excuse me." All eyes in the room turned to look at Homura. The brunette caved into herself at all the attention. "M-my apologies, but I'm a bit lost here."

Mami didn't reply right away, as she quickly took notice of the way Sayaka was glaring at Homura. When Mami took another moment to study Homura's profile, she thought she understood why. "Well, the root of the matter is that Kyubey wants the four of you to become magical girls like me. However, I believe you'll understand things better if he explains rather than me."

Kyubey pads over to the center of the table and gets comfortable, looking at each of the girls once before settling his gaze on Madoka first. "_As I mentioned earlier, I would like to make a contract with you. In order to do so, I will have to grant you one wish, any wish of your desire_."

"A wish…?" Homura whispered. Her gaze fell to her lap afterwards.

"_Yes, exactly. Once I fulfill your wish, the contract will be made, and you will be converted into a magical girl!_"

"I think I'll take over here." Mami interjects. "While I'm sure Kyubey can describe it just fine, I must let you know the consequences of entering a contract with Kyubey." She looked at each of the girls one more time before going on. "What you saw me fighting earlier today were the minions of a witch."

"A witch?" The skeptical look on Juudai's face irked Mami a bit, but it was to be expected.

"They're our natural enemies, hiding beyond human's perception. They feed off of our negative energy, luring wayward people into their labyrinths. People are their prey, and it's our duty to protect humans from the witches. That will be your task as well should you choose to make a wish."

She let the seriousness of her declaration fall on the girls, carefully watching each of their expressions. Madoka and Homura both looked scared, Juudai's face remained expressionless, if only with the slightly hint of skepticism. Of the four, Sayaka was the one burst with the question, "What do they want with people?"

"_Devour them. In doing so, the witch becomes more powerful. It'll be able to extend its labyrinth's reach, and be able to take more victims_." Kyubey took another bite from his plate before continuing. "_It goes without saying you don't want that to happen. A witch's sentient ability is limited if it's newly born, but the further it manages to develop its powers, the more of a threat it can become._"

"Precisely. A magical girl's job isn't easy. Know that death is a possibility if you decide to make a wish." Mami needed them to be aware of the risks; it'd kill her if they involve themselves and end up losing their lives too soon.

"Aw, man. That sucks," Sayaka moaned, her head falling towards the table. "Knowing that puts a lot of pressure on the whole wish thing."

"It's only natural." Juudai spoke up, eyes falling on Kyubey. "You said you'd grant any wish we want, correct?"

"_I did._"

"Then of course there'd be a heavy price to pay." Juudai gave a sigh before slumping forward.

"Miss Naosoroshii?" Homura inquired.

Juudai shook her head. "I'm fine, Miss Akemi. Just thinking."

"It is kind of a lot to take in." Madoka chimed in, her face scrunched up uncertainly. "I mean, of all the people out there, why us? Why do we have this opportunity?"

"_I don't know. You just do, and Madoka, you have a lot of potential of becoming a very powerful magical girl!_"

"Eh?"

"Kyubey, stop. I don't want them to feel obligated. Nonetheless," Mami's scolding tone turned into a gentle one, "I must admit, I am relieved to see other girls like me. I'd rather you not become involved in all this, but should you choose to make a contract, you'd be a magical girl of Mitakihara along with me." Mami's face broke out into a brilliant smile, her chest blossoming with the joy she felt at the prospect. She should feel guilt where she feels joy.

"The idea sounds _wonderful_~" Madoka insisted, the concern retreating from the quiet excitement. "Saving people from monsters like you did for us today; I'd like to be the kind of person who can protect others."

"Yeah, you got to admit it sounds pretty awesome," Sayaka added with a huge grin. "I'm still kind of uneasy about it, but damn if it doesn't sound interesting."

"Y-yes, it does sound like something out of a fairy tale…" Homura whispered.

"Well, I'm not interested." Juudai flat out declared.

"Miss Naosoroshii?"

"It'd be hypocritical of me to say I don't believe you after what I've witnessed, but it sounds like a pretty shady deal to me. Why should I deal with a problem that isn't mine?"

The resounding slam of a hand on the table made everyone except Juudai jump. Sayaka glared at her. "What the hell are you talking about?! If we have the power, we should defend other people!"

"What's your problem?" Juudai aims a glare at Sayaka. "You are not responsible for my actions any less as I am to yours. If you want to do something about it, be my guest but I'm staying out of it." Juudai moves to stand up, casting her gaze on Mami. "Thank you for the treats. I'll be taking my leave."

"That's fine."

Juudai nods, then turns to look at Homura. "Miss Akemi, if you wish to do something about this, I won't be so hypocritical as to influence your choice by my opinions. Nor will I look at you differently for whatever decision you chose. Will you be able to get home safely on your own?"

"Oh, yes, I can, Miss Naosoroshii."

"All right then." Juudai offers a small smile. "I'll go now. Miss Kaname, thank you for taking care of Miss Akemi. Good-bye, Miss Miki." Juudai practically bit the words out; Sayaka scoffed, rolled her eyes and looked the other way.

Lastly, Juudai turned to look at Kyubey. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to say no thank you."

"_Understandable. If you ever change your mind, though, come and find me._"

"Unlikely, but thanks for the offer." Juudai smiled and left the apartment.

As soon as the door shut close, Sayaka's rage came bursting forth. "Geez! What the hell is her problem?! She saw those monsters! We all saw them, and she still insists on facing the other way?!"

"Quite frankly, I don't blame her." Mami calmly finished her tea as everyone else in the room focused on her. "This is a dangerous decision you'll be making if you decide to take up Kyubey on his offer. Don't fault her for choosing to turn down this offer."

* * *

Amai was pissed. She had reason to be considering not just one of her friends, but both of her best friends bailed on her on hanging out today. In the case of Juudai, it wasn't the first time she abandoned her; last night, she wasn't at the restaurant during her break and the little brat Xavier wouldn't even peep about where she was. He would only respond some bull crap about him not knowing because 'he was just a kid'.

A true fact about life: Juudai NEVER misses out on work. The fact she skipped out yesterday, for Amai, was a cause to sound the alarms. Amai could only think of one reason she would leave, and that involves something happening to Xavier. Not only was the little boy resting calmly at home, she recalls but Juudai didn't say a word to any of her parents.

Sus~picious.

Her only clue was to check out the general vicinity. Juudai rarely strays too far from the restaurant especially if she knows that she's working. Although Amai couldn't be too sure, Juudai had to be close by.

The search went on for well over an hour as Amai searched through Juudai's usual haunts: the park in the middle of the city, the toy store, the camping grounds, and the park by the river. (Actually, now that she really thought about it, these were Xavier's favorite places to go.) She didn't start to make real progress until she made it to the last place on her checklist.

"Oh, good. I was starting to get hungry." Amai heaved a sigh in front of the Cake Metropolis. Juudai didn't really have much of a sweet tooth, but this restaurant happens to be one of the few which successfully turned Juudai into a fan of their treats. The Cake Metropolis also happened to be the favorite (well, second favorite) restaurant of her dear friend. Amai herself had never stepped foot into the place, though Juudai had promised her to take her here before; she has a hard time visiting the location of her parent's competitions. However, the thought occurred to her she might be able to run into her dear friend here. A hunch, but it was something to go by, and it was all Amai had at the moment in finding either Juudai or her childhood friend.

The Cake Metropolis was well on its way to receiving a good review from her; the doors are automated, swishing open as she drew near the entrance. The cool blast of air conditioner hit her square in the face, and she smiled as the heat of the sun rolled off of her. The host greeted Amai, and a nearby waiter took over in leading her to a seat. He left her with a menu and a task in bringing her back a tall glass of milk.

Her eyes shift through the menu. "Aw, man, so many choices… What am I going to choose…?" She grumbled under her breath a while longer, indecision clawing through her. She didn't realize someone was next to her until the seat shifted with the person's weight.

"Uh, listen, dude. I asked you to go get my order. That was no way a secret invitation for you to flirt with me." Amai kept her gaze on the menu as she spoke, but when the other person made no movement to get off the booth, she growled and turned to glare at them.

The glare melted in place as she looked the other girl next to her in the eye. The girl blinked, her head twitching to the side slightly as she returned the look.

Amai's mouth laid agape. "Uh, ah, I'm so sorry, little one. I didn't see your there." Inside, Amai was squealing at the adorableness of the girl. Her eyes shifted from left to right, wondering where the girl's family is and if they were looking for her. "Did you come here to eat cake?" She asked for lack of anything better to do.

The little girl nodded her head. "I like cheesecake." She announced in the most precious voice Amai's heard since Xavier. Amai couldn't prevent cooing slightly before getting a hold of herself. If the cuteness continued, she'd be grabbing those hair buns and squeezing them.

"Aw, you're precious~ But you should get back to your parents before they worry about you."

"My parents are dead."

Amai shut her mouth, her heart falling to her stomach. "I'm so sorry-"

"You're like me."

For a second time, Amai's mouth froze again, wide eyes staring at the girl in confusion. The lilac headed girl continued speaking. "You have the potential of becoming a magical girl. Yes, you do."


End file.
